Hope for the dead

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LynnMarie_Davis

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My nephew died in a car accident. He had not gone to church anywhere of that I am aware. What hope do I have for him as far as heaven, or at the final resurection according to the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
 
If he cooperated as he could with the graces he was given, it is certainly possible he went to heaven. For your part, you should pray for his soul, and have a mass said for him. That’s a very powerful prayer. I’m sorry for your loss and will pray for you and him.
 
LynnMarie,

:gopray2: First, I am praying for your family during this time … May God hold you all in his arms providing comfort and peace…

Read St Paul’s Letter to the Romans …

Paul speaks of the Jews, marked by circumcision … heirs, God’s Chosen People … to them was given Moses, the Law and the Prophets … and to whom much was given much is expected …

We as Christians have been given even more … Moses, the Law and the Prophets PLUS Jesus, the Church, the Sacraments … to whom much is given … much is expected! …

But you can also find much hope in Paul’s Letter … he speaks of the natural law that is written on the hearts of all mankind … if that is what we are given … that is where God will meet us …

Jesus came to save all … God is the creator of all … God is the God of all …

And all of us will fall somewhere between the extremes in our knowledge of God and His will in our life … we all have some knowledge of God and he will meet us … and judge us … where we are … where we turned towards the Lord, Our Creator and where we turned away …

Your nephew will be held to an account of his life… We entrust him to the Just Love of a Just God … the God who created us and who longs for our Salvation. The God who desires us to be face to face with Him in heaven…

The God who loves us 👍 …

:grouphug: …And dear LynnMarie, ultimately that is all we have no matter how a life lived looks to us … we see as people see … we judge as the fallable fallen humans we are … thank goodness for all of us … God is the ultimate and only judge that matters …

Have peace and pray for God’s love to be poured out on your nephews life …

Trust in God’s compassionate love!
It is in Jesus we have our Hope!
:signofcross:
 
I’m so sorry to hear of your family’s loss. We can never know what another has in his heart, and all of us have to rely on God’s mercy. We have no idea what actually happens in the last moments of life or after that. Someone here said once that she liked to think that at the very last second of life, Jesus would give you a final chance. God can do anything, He makes the rules.
 
LynnMarie_Davis said:
My nephew died in a car accident. He had not gone to church anywhere of that I am aware. What hope do I have for him as far as heaven, or at the final resurection according to the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
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I’m sorry for you loss. Like the others have said, pray for his soul. Pray the rosary and ask for Mary’s intercession on his behalf. Eternal rest grant unto him o Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.
 
daeve said:
I’m so sorry to hear of your family’s loss. We can never know what another has in his heart, and all of us have to rely on God’s mercy. We have no idea what actually happens in the last moments of life or after that. Someone here said once that she liked to think that at the very last second of life, Jesus would give you a final chance. God can do anything, He makes the rules.
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I don’t know of an explicit Church teaching on this. However, knowing that God has no time [Prayer can be retroactive], I feel a strong urge to pray that God give the dying one a moment to realize the situation and the grace to make use of that moment.

I have some particular cases I pray for. Given the circumstances I am not sure how God would manage it, but I just pray for the result and leave the implementation to Him. Praying for people to get out of Purgatory is good, but it is also well to pray that they get into Purgatory. 😉
 
Wow I can’t believe so many people cared enough to respond to my question. I will definitely continue to read the Bible for comfort and peace. I know that’s where I found it 23 years ago when my brother died in a car accident. Thank you so much for your prayers also. It’s been many years since I’ve prayed the rosary so I am going to have to check with Mom on how to do so. Thanks again.
 
LynnMarie_Davis said:
My nephew died in a car accident. He had not gone to church anywhere of that I am aware. What hope do I have for him as far as heaven, or at the final resurection according to the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
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We have hope for the dead because we trust in God’s Mercy and cooperate with Him by praying and sacrificing for the dearly departed.

As Padre Pio once said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
 
LynnMarie_Davis said:
Wow I can’t believe so many people cared enough to respond to my question. I will definitely continue to read the Bible for comfort and peace. I know that’s where I found it 23 years ago when my brother died in a car accident. Thank you so much for your prayers also. It’s been many years since I’ve prayed the rosary so I am going to have to check with Mom on how to do so. Thanks again.
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You might also want to say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. That really works for me.
 
I am sorry for your loss lynn. I will pray for you and your family. Just remember we must trust in Gods mercy.

The DIVINE MERCY Novena

I fly to Your Mercy, Compassionate God, Who alone are good. Although my misery is great and my offenses are many, I trust in Your Mercy because You are the God of Mercy, and it has never been heard of in all ages, nor do Heaven or Earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your Mercy has been disappointed.

(State your intentions)

Jesus, Friend of a lonely heart, You are my haven.
You are my peace.
You are my salvation.
You are my serenity in moments of struggle and amidst an ocean of doubts.
Amen

Our Father

Hail Mary

Glory be

Vivat Jesus
Chris
 
You’ve all been very helpful, but now I am wondering if it would make a difference that my nephew was not baptized in any church of any denomination. I’m still trusting God to meet him where he was when he died. Is it the devil putting all these thoughts and worries into my head in order to drag down my heart and think “what’s the use?” Thank you for all your prayers. I’m still taken aback that so many have taken the time to answer the question of someone they don’t even know.
 
LynnMarie_Davis said:
You’ve all been very helpful, but now I am wondering if it would make a difference that my nephew was not baptized in any church of any denomination. I’m still trusting God to meet him where he was when he died. Is it the devil putting all these thoughts and worries into my head in order to drag down my heart and think “what’s the use?” Thank you for all your prayers. I’m still taken aback that so many have taken the time to answer the question of someone they don’t even know.
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Marines are taught to continue fighting until a valid order to lay down arms is given or they are dead or physically unable to carry on. Similarly, Christians pray for the repose of the souls of the departed until our Commander tells us to stop or we ourselves are dead.

Paul
 
LynnMarie_Davis said:
My nephew died in a car accident. He had not gone to church anywhere of that I am aware. What hope do I have for him as far as heaven, or at the final resurection according to the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church.
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Without God having granted him a miraculous, and extremely rare grace just before death, he is almost certainly in hell.

That being said, what I do with family members who have died outside the Church is to pray (I try to do it every day), that God will grant them the grace of conversion at the moment of death. Even though their death has already taken place, God can apply our prayers at any moment in time, since He is outside of time.

It seems to me that if I am faithful in this prayer, God will be faithful in answering. I would recommend this practice to you as well, because without a very special and rare grace it does not look good for your nephew. This practice also does two things:

1.) It keeps us from having to water down the teaching of Jesus on the few that are saved in order to make us “feel” better about the difficult situation we are dealing with, and…

2.) It enables us to “do something” for the person we love. And in doing this, it actually increased our hope in God and in his mercy.

So, in conclusion, the eternal fate of your nephew looks grim, but you can do something for him by including him in your prayer every day.

One last story the make the point…

Padre Pio was praying one day when a person asked him what he was praying about. He replied “I am praying that my father has a happy death”. The person responded by saying, “but you father has been dead for 30 years”. Padre Pio answered by saying “Yes, but God is outside of time and can apply these prayer to the moment of my Father’s death”.

Let us do the same for our relatives.

God Bless,
 
Dear Pax et caritas,

Thank you for your honesty. Being of one the protestant faiths, your view is exactly my fear. I’m not sure if praying for the dead is biblical, but I am left without hope if we can’t pray for the salvation of the dead. I need prayer because I feel like I’m coming apart at the joints and my skin is turning inside out.
 
LynnMarie_Davis said:
Dear Pax et caritas,

Thank you for your honesty. Being of one the protestant faiths, your view is exactly my fear. I’m not sure if praying for the dead is biblical, but I am left without hope if we can’t pray for the salvation of the dead. I need prayer because I feel like I’m coming apart at the joints and my skin is turning inside out.
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Praying that God apply your prayers to the time when your nephew was still alive is not exactly praying for the dead. Praying for the dead usually means praying for someone who is in purgatory.

My recommendation is a little different. It is asking God - who is outside of time and Who can view all of time instantly - to apply your prayers to the “time” just before your nephew died. It is actually praying for the living, since you are praying that God would apply the prayer to him while he was still alive. This is possible to God.

Another good that will come from this is that it will bring you closer to God through your prayers. Whenever we pray, be it for ourselves or someone else, it brings us closer to God.

Hang in there and God Bless.
 
I can’t speak as intelligently as some of the posters who replied. But I, too, have experienced deaths in my family - where the souls were attended to before death - and yet, under certain circumstances, I worried. And to this day, I spend my days crying, “where are they?” I’m scolded by people who tell me to trust in God’s Mercy. I do - but it’s people I can’t trust, and I don’t know how these souls were judged, and I worry. We don’t realize how much we love our loved ones - until they have left their bodies and become - just souls - in eternity. That’s what most of us don’t say in words.

Only God knows. Have Gregorian Masses said and take the advice of those who suggested regular Masses and Divine Mercy Chaplets. Never forget all the poor souls - particularly those who have no one to pray for them. Never forget them. And remember the words of the Rosary of the Holy Wounds:
Eternal Father, I offer the the Wounds of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, to heal the wounds of our souls.
My Jesus, pardon and mercy, through the merits of Thy Sacred Wounds.
* * *
Oh Agonizing Heart of Jesus, have mercy on the dying.
 
My nephew nor I are Catholic. Can I still have a mass for him?
 
LynnMarie_Davis said:
My nephew nor I are Catholic. Can I still have a mass for him?
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So far as I know, Yes. I have never encountered that particular situation. However, I have frequently had masses said for non-Catholics, and I know non-Catholics have had masses said for Catholics. I can’t imagine any problem in your having a mass said for him.
 
Lynn,there are some holy scripture that may give you comfort. "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times,he might gather together in one ALL THINGS IN CHRIST both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in him-EPH 1:9,10 " Wherefore god hath also highly exalted him,and given him a name which is above every name; that at the NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of things in heaven,and things in earth,and thingsUNDER THE EARTH,and that every tongue should confess that Jesus IS LORD,to the glory of God the father. PHILLIP2;9-11 AMEN.
 
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